LOCATION

I. ABOUT ROMANIA

Location: Romania is situated in the southeastern part of Central Europe, bordering Hungary to the northwest, Serbia to the southwest, Bulgaria to the south, the Black Sea to the southeast, Ukraine to the east and to the north, and the Republic of Moldova to the east. Romania is the 12th largest country in Europe and the 2nd in the region, after Poland.

Population: 21,400,000

Capital: Bucharest - the capital city of Romania - is located at the same latitude with the cities of Portland – Oregon, Montreal – Canada, Venice - Italy and Bordeaux - France. Known for its wide, tree-lined avenues, glorious Belle Époque buildings and a high life style (which in the 1900s earned its label of "Little Paris"), Bucharest, Romania's largest city, is today a bustling metropolis. The Parliament Palace (photo) is the world's second largest building after the U.S. Pentagon, with an area of 3.76 million square feet.

Climate: Romania has a temperate climate, with four distinct seasons and significant regional differences of the climate.

Geography: Romania's territory features splendid mountains, beautiful rolling hills, fertile plains and numerous rivers and lakes. The Carpathians cross the centre of the country, bordered on both sides by foothills and finally the great plains of the outer edge. Forests cover over one quarter of the country and the fauna is one of the richest in Europe, including bears, deer, lynx, chamois and wolves. The Danube River ends its eight-country journey at the Black Sea, after forming one of the largest and most biodiverse wetlands in the world, the Danube Delta.

For more Romanian highlights please visit: www.romaniatourism.com

II. ABOUT CRAIOVA

Location: Craiova, one of the largest and most important cities in south-western Romania, is situated on the left bank of the Jiu river, in the centre of the Oltenia region, 227 km away from Bucharest and 68 km from the Danube. As capital of the historical province of Oltenia, Craiova is time-honoured, commercial and cultural centre. It is a longstanding political centre, and is located at fairly equal distances from the Southern Carpathians (to the north) and the Danube (to the south). Craiova is the main commercial city west of Bucharest and the most important city of Oltenia.

Population: Craiova is the 6th largest city in Romania, with a population of about 300,000.

Climate: Romania has a temperate climate, very similar to the rest of the countries situated in the continental zone. Situated in the southern part of Romania, Craiova has a very pleasant, sub-Mediterranean climate. Winters are sometimes cold (-10 °C to +5 °C); in wintertime you can rent skates and enjoy the ice-rink in the city centre. In spring and autumn the warm and sunny weather is ideal for outdoor activities. Summers tend to be quite hot (25 °C to 35 °C), but you can have a good time as there are plenty of swimming pools and outdoor bars serving cold drinks and ice-cream.

Geography: The landscape of Craiova is identical to the landscape of the Dolj county, i.e. of plain area. Hills are to bin the northern part and the Danube Valley in the southern area.